#Ruth Alexander

[nyssasorbit]

Got bored and tried to recreate that one scene with Lenalee and Allen, except with Ruth and Kanda ✨

[dementedfilament]

Ramble time!

So, I was thinking over some things for Ruth while at work!

Well, I didn’t get a solid backstory for her or anything, just a few things here and there. No idea how well it fits in canon since I’ve only kinda skimmed half the series again so far xD

But anyways, some old details I remember for her is that she’s with the Order from the beginning, and doesn’t have her own intro arc like Miranda, Krory, or Timothy. She’s in General Tiedoll’s unit.

Her personality is a bit shy and naive, but hard-working. She admires the others in her team, even Kanda, though she finds him a bit scary. As the series progresses, she learns how to talk to him much more casually. She also wears glasses.

In the very beginning of the series, she tends to keep her hair cut super short, but when Lenalee loses hers, they make a promise to grow their hair out together, since Ruth’s never seen Lenalee with hair shorter than Ruth’s, and Lenalee’s never seen Ruth’s grown out.

Ruth wields a weapon-type Innocence shaped like a bow, but I don’t remember if I named it or not. She doesn’t carry a sheath, as the arrows grow off the bow itself like sort of spike-like objects. When she pulls the spikes off, the arrows will take shape, and the number of them on the bow with slowly regenerate overtime.

I don’t remember all the things I had made her arrows capable of, but I did have a few ideas for her crystal-type version. Now, I’m not sure where her crystal arc would fit in. There’s some time skips here and there in the story, so I thought about maybe having it to where she exhausts herself during the first Level 4 battle and has her arc inbetween that and the Alma arc. (That way she’ll have it by the time the current arc begins to unfold.) Exhausting herself would probably be forcing her Innocence to generate more arrows than she can handle, and having to forcibly hold whatever magic is behind them I guess. Maybe one of her abilities is like a shield? idk let me live-

Anyways, so her crystal type bow obviously looks a little different from her regular type. When not active, it forms into a large cuff on her wrist. What’s different with her new weapon type is the addition of a “scope” that enhances the vision of one eye, which will turn into a set of rings on her opposite hand (I think). The circular ornaments on the rings will form the scope (sorta like Allen’s eye mechanism, except it only enhances her vision and nothing more), and the rings will form a wing-like ornament that hovers in her hand, acting as the bowstring being pulled back. Her arrows will now be formed by her blood, which come out of the stigmata on the backs of her hands.

I imagine she probably has to carry around extra vitamins and things to make up for the blood loss. (And tbh, I had a funny headcanon involving her getting shot by akuma bullets, the virus spreading, and Krory drinks it out of her. A comedic scene of her feeling awkward about it and him being disgusted ensues, then Ruth stumbles into a wall feeling light-headed.) Eventually, besides learning how to use her scope properly (which may include a targeting feature too? I want to say she did have homing variety of arrows in her OG weapon), she also learns that she no longer has to pull the “bowstring” back entirely. She can actually “prep” the bow with the same motion, hold her hand in place, and continually fire without have to redraw the string. Building on this new ability, she eventually begins experimenting with how to fire more, and fire faster, while using less blood. She’ll make small, spherical objects akin to bullets, and instead of maybe doing something shield-like or otherwise being unable to aid her comrades much with it, she can now rapid-fire these bullet projectiles to combat akuma bullets, allowing her comrades to move freely as she defends them. (Her targeting feature could also prevent her from having to move around too much in order to shoot.)

A part of me wants her to begin questioning if there’s more to their war than they’re aware of. Not in a way that she doubts the Innocence or their reason for fighting, but she’s curious as to what the 14th has to do with anything and why the Noah are striving so hard to see him, and why Allen has to be wrapped up in this mess. (This curiosity will probably generally be a part of her personality tbh, which seems fitting for a Tiedoll unit member.)

When Kanda decides to chase after Allen, I kinda want a scene between him and Ruth paralleling the one between Allen and Lenalee (minus the, what I assume to be is, romantic undertones. I honestly don’t ship her with anyone). Except, I kinda wanted it to show her growth in understanding and befriending him, and while searching for him somewhere, she realizes he wouldn’t go a direction the Order could find him in, and manages to pinpoint him by simply knowing his character. She catches up with him and tries to stop him, which he obviously doesn’t. She tells him he’ll become a Fallen, and he’ll say he knows already. So, she’ll ask him to take her with him, as she fears her curiosity into the truth behind their war will cause her to become a Fallen also, so at least neither of them will have to go through it alone. Eventually, he manages to convince her to stay with the Order for the time being, and bids her goodbye.

She’ll probably get caught by the Order and be forced to explain before them why she was speaking with Kanda the night before he disappeared, and what about. She manages to lie and say she didn’t know where he was going, that he was simply “going out” and she didn’t know what that meant. They claim she should have known better, but she uses the excuses that Kanda always fought with Allen, so it was no guarantee he went after him, and that plenty of people had gone out that night for various reasons, thus she had no reason to assume he was going to betray them. They end up letting her go, and Tiedoll asks how she managed to lie so well. She tells him she “learned it from the best”, and Tiedoll also intentionally tells her a small lie about his plans regarding finding Kanda and bringing him home.

Later, when the General and Kanda meet up, he reveals that he brought Ruth with him. (Which...may make the above conversation a bit useless, but these are just a bunch of random ideas I had.) When promoting Kanda to a General, he says that he’ll only allow Kanda to roam outside the Order if he takes Ruth as his new apprentice, which would enable the two to more easily do as they wish without worrying about the Order holding them back. Kanda of course agrees, and Ruth and he have a humorous little conversation about how weird it’ll be for her to call him “General Kanda”, to which he tells her just to refer to him as she always has.

As far as the current stuff goes...she probably got left behind with Johnny and Tiedoll, and I guess we’ll see whenever they eventually find Kanda and Allen.

I feel like I missed something, but...anyways, here’s my big ol’ ramble.

[mishacollins]

поточний настрій.

[mizgnomer]

Behind the Scenes of The Giggle - Part Two

Excerpt from Benjamin Cook's article in DWM 599:

On a studio backlot somewhere in Cardiff, Ncuti Gatwa is stepping on to the Doctor Who set for the very first time. He’s arm in arm with Catherine Tate, and they’re laughing about something. There’s a round of applause from Ncuti’s co-stars as he arrives. David Tennant – whose shoes Ncuti is, literally, about to fill – wraps the new Doctor in a warm embrace. “A hug from David? Now we’re in the Whoniverse,” says Ncuti, rejoicing. “THE WHONIVERSE!” cheers Bonnie Langford, who’s hugging Ncuti herself now. It’s hugs all round. They’re lining up. A hug from Jemma Redgrave. A hug from Ruth Madeley. A hug from Neil Patrick Harris, who also gives a theatrical: “Hello, hello! Willkommen!” They’re all here. All the stars. “It’s like Celebrity Squares,” quips the showrunner, Russell T Davies, who’s hugging the new Doctor too. “How exciting.”

For other posts in this set, please see the #whoBtsGiggle tag. The full episode list is [ here ]

[spnscripthunt]

Because of the Site Formerly Known as Twitter, we moved up the start date 🙃

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[oliversrarebooks]

The Rare Bookseller, Part 44: Alexander's Vain Hope

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tw: conditioning, captivity, blood drinking, toxic possessiveness

September 1925

"So Fitz is visiting soon? Well, now, no wonder you've perked up! And here I thought it was just your new thrall," said Ruth, laughing. "So when is your lover boy arriving, hm?"

Lex groaned. "Please don't call him that. And he'll be here in about a week and a half. He won't be staying long, unfortunately."

"If I don't get to see him, please send Fitz my regards, then," said Ruth. "I remember back when he was your favorite thrall..."

"Mmm." Lex remembered too, all too well. He'd had Fitz as a thrall for such a short time, and as a vampire for so many years now, but in the cold remains of his heart, he still thought of Fitz as human -- warm, delicious, bursting with life.

"Your new thrall is quite an excellent choice, though," said Edith, seemingly noticing Lex's malaise. "Lily was quite right. You needed a decent thrall. This Oliver will be very good for you, I can tell."

"I certainly think so," said Lex, dragging his thoughts back to the present. "That is, if I can protect him from my sire. I'm sure you know how he -- "

"Oh, that's right! I remember what I wanted to discuss with you, Lex," Ruth interrupted. "Remember how you were looking for witches?"

"Yes..."

"I've heard a lot of rumors lately of a vampire hunter new in the city. She's only staked a few vampires, and no one worth mentioning, but she's been raiding thralls from a few of the more established manors." Ruth leaned forward dramatically. "Apparently, this hunter has witch heritage, and has the power to resist a vampire's aura and avoid enthrallment."

Lex's eyes widened. He'd been looking for something like this for years, in the hopes that he could gain the power to defy his sire's power over him and free himself once and for all. But the fact that he'd been looking for so long with little success made him temper his hopes. "Do you believe that? That's what every two-bit vampire says after a narrow brush with death -- that the hunter was a witch, that their enthrallment just didn't work. Nine times out of ten, they're just ashamed of their own weakness."

"What if I told you I heard it from Evelyn? One of her thralls was taken from her servants' quarters a week ago."

"Evelyn? A hunter stole a thrall from Evelyn?" She was one of the oldest and most formidable vampires in the city, almost as old and as feared as Alexander's sire. She most certainly wasn't the type to lose easily to any hunter, or else she'd have been turned to dust long ago. "And Evelyn believes the hunter had witch blood?"

"She said she could smell the witch all over her manor, and that when she used her powers, they had no effect on hunter."

"Witch blood has been incredibly rare in this region for decades now," said Edith. "Are you sure?"

"All I know is what I've heard through the grapevine."

Edith was right, of course. Witch blood was rare in the region because they had all been mercilessly hunted by vampires in the years before Lex was sired. His sire, it was said, was a major part of these hunts, and some of the thralls Lex remembered from his sire's manor in the early days were witches. The smell of magic in their blood was intoxicating, almost impossible to resist, but the one time he'd given into his urges, he'd been starved for months as a punishment.

But their blood quality was not what primarily interested Lex. No, he was interested in the ability, rare even among witches, to defy a vampire's power. If this hunter truly had the secret...

"Lex?" Lily shook him gently. "What are you thinking?"

"Hm?" His thoughts returned to the sitting room, where his guests were looking at him. "Ah, my apologies. I seem to have been rather in my own head."

"When are you not?" said Lily.

He should turn the subject to more cheerful matters -- after all, it wasn't every night he entertained company. "Oh, Ruth, I wanted to ask -- did you look into the matter I wrote you about?"

"Oh, yes, I did!" She rummaged around in her large bag for a moment, pulling out a manila envelope tied with string. "I have some papers you'll find interesting."

"Thank you, I appreciate it. I'll write you a check for the time spent before you go."

Ruth waved him off. "No need. I'm fine with you owing me a favor."

"Very well," said Lex, smiling as he opened the packet and rifled through it.

"Would it be intruding if I asked what this was?" said Edith, leaning in.

"My thrall, Oliver, ran the most charming bookshop before he was taken. I'm taking steps to ensure it transfers into my name once he's formally declared dead." He closed the envelope, satisfied. "In better days, I'd like for him to be able to run his bookshop. It's his passion."

Edith nodded approvingly. "That's very sweet. You're so generous with your thralls."

"I do try. I really do."

----

"You're planning something reckless, aren't you?"

Ruth and Edith had both gone home, but Lily had hung behind to chat with Lex in the library. He already knew why.

"No, not at the moment. But if the rumor is true, if there is a witch who knows the secret to nullifying a vampire's power..."

Lily groaned. "Are you a glutton for punishment? Do you yearn for our sire's dungeons? You know what he'll do to you if you try and fail to kill him. Again."

"So what's the alternative, then?" Lex said, temper flaring. "Never trying? Don't you want to be free?"

"I don't want to see you get tortured just as you're getting back on your feet!" Lily was getting equally heated. "Maybe encouraging you to take Oliver was a mistake. I foolishly thought you had learned your lesson."

"Oh? And what lesson is that?"

"Not to fall in love with thralls!"

Lex nearly choked on his breath, his chest tightening. "I'm not in love with Oliver."

"And yet you're already planning to risk everything for him. I remember the last time you acquired a thrall and immediately started coming up with schemes to kill our sire -- when you fell for Fitz."

"And again I'm going to ask you what you think the alternative is," said Lex, not so subtly dodging that line of thought. "Remaining under the Maestro's whip forever?"

"The alternative is to try and be content with what you have," she said. "You have so much, Lex. You have the manor and the library, you have a perfect thrall, and need I remind you that you have a very handsome and eager vampire lover."

"And that's exactly the reason why I need to kill my sire, because Fitz will never be safe as long as he's alive. And I can't bear to go through the same thing with Oliver, Lily, you know I can't take it."

Lily sighed, relenting. "God damn you, Lex. I know I can't talk you out of this when you get this stubborn. Even if I did, Fitz would talk you right back into it. Neither of you have any sense of self-preservation."

"I'm plenty preserved. I'm 132, and I've spent most of that time locked away in this manor or our sire's, marinating in my feelings like a pickle in a jar, every day the same." Lex looked out of the window at the stars, just barely visible above the glare of gaslights. "I want to live with my own thoughts, and not a dark shadow pulling at them as he pleases. I want to travel. I want to have my precious lover and my precious thrall all to myself without having them yanked away from me at my sire's discretion." He turned back to Lily. "Don't you? Don't you want to be free, too?"

Lily looked so small, less like the confident conditioning expert striding through the halls of the auction house, and more like the terrified but still defiant human she was when she first met Lex. Chained to the wall in the Maestro's manor, feet bleeding from her body being forced to dance, knife and whip marks marring her skin. Somehow, her spirit wasn't broken then. Lex didn't think it was broken now. Not truly. In his experience, anyone who underestimated Lily would be swiftly put in their place.

"You know that I do," she said. "But I also know how this story always ends. That's why I've made my peace."

Lex pushed a hand through his messy hair. "Look, I'll make sure this is all on me. You won't be pulled into this. He'll never know you knew a thing about it."

"Of course he will," said Lily with a sharp laugh. "He always knows."

"I'll be careful," he insisted. "This is all just a rumor anyway, even coming from Evelyn. It's probably nothing. But if it isn't -- if there's really a power I can use to get past our sire's defenses -- I could never forgive myself if I didn't find it. We might never get that kind of opportunity again."

Lily threw up her hands, relenting. "You're right, fine, Lex, you're right. Just don't let all of Oliver's rich blood get to your head. Don't invoke our sire's wrath because you went all soft-hearted over a thrall."

"I'll try not to."

"You won't, but I'm glad you're at least pretending you will." She smiled. "And when Fitz gets here, we'd better all go out on the town together, for old time's sake. Don't forget."

"I won't forget. Consider it a deal."

---

Oliver was bustling about the kitchen, cleaning the dishes and putting the remaining sandwiches in the icebox. Lex couldn't help but watch him silently from the kitchen door. He could smell the delicious blood from there, and after all that socializing, Lex was hungry.

But he didn't want to interrupt Oliver while he was in the middle of something. Besides, it was nice to watch him. Nice to have a thrall in the house once again. 

...But Lily was out of line. He wasn't in love with Oliver. He just wanted to protect what was his.

Fitz was probably going to be a tad jealous of him anyway, even though he had nothing to be jealous about. The only solution, naturally, would be to share Oliver with Fitz -- he just knew Fitz was going to love him if he gave him a chance. 

Fitz was the only one Lex would willingly share a thrall with, and the thought was so much sweeter than the nightmare of having to share Oliver with his sire. He could just imagine how lovely Oliver would look as Fitz's enthrallment took hold of him, how gorgeous Fitz would look when he was satisfied from feeding. 

And Lex's mind supplied him with another fantasy, one that was impossible and wistful. Fitz as he was as a thrall, so warm and so delicious. Lex possessing them both, filling their minds with enthralling song, feeding from them and watching them curl up on the couch with him in a pleasurable daze. The dream long lost, because as much as he loved Fitz as a vampire, he was far superior as a thrall.

His heart's desire, if he still had a heart.

Thrall or vampire, Fitz and Oliver both belonged to him. And he was absolutely sick of his sire violating his rightful companions and possessions.

Lex shook his head. He had to get a grip. His need for blood was driving him too far into his darker impulses. Thankfully, Oliver was finishing up and could very well provide relief.

As Oliver drained the dishwater and dried his hands, Lex came up behind him, loosely pinning him against the sink. "Did you have a nice time tonight, Oliver?"

"Oh, yes, sir," he said, somewhat flustered. "It was very good to talk to other thralls for a while. I hope to get the chance again."

"You will," said Lex, his control slipping now that he was so close to Oliver. Oliver could certainly tell, as his eyes were already starting to go glassy from Lex's aura. Lex nestled into the space between his shoulder and neck and began to sing quietly, a simple song of pleasure and obedience.

"Sir..." Oliver's muscles began to go slack as he relaxed and fell easily under Lex's spell. "Master..."

The mesmerized bliss on Oliver's face was a sight that Lex doubted he would ever tire of. "I wish to feed from you now," he said, moving in closer to the soft skin of his thrall's neck. "Would that be all right?"

"Yes, master," said Oliver. So eager, so willing. "Please, sir, I'd love for you to feed."

Lex wove a promise of protection into his song, hoping to reassure his dear thrall as he sank in his fangs and lapped at the blood.

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@d-cs @latenightcupsofcoffee @thecyrulik @dismemberment-on-a-tuesday-night @wanderinggoblin @whumpyourdamnpears @only-shadows-dwell-where-we-are @pressedpenn @pigeonwhumps @amusedmuralist @xx-adam-xx @ivycloak @irregular-book @whumpsoda @mj-or-say10 @pokemaniacgemini @sowhumpshaped @whumpsday @morning-star-whump @shinyotachi @silly-scroimblo-skrunkl @steh-lar-uh-nuhs @pirefyrelight @theauthorintraining @whump-me-all-night-long @anonfromcanada @typewrittenfangs @tessellated-sunl1ght @cleverinsidejoke @abirbable @ichorousambrosia @a-formless-entity @gobbo-king @writinggremlin @the-agency-archives @just-a-whumping-racoon-with-wifi @enigmawriteswhump @foresttheblep @bottlecapreader @whump-on-a-string @whumpinthepot @cinnamoncandycanes @avvail-whumps @tauntedoctopuses @secret-vampkissers-soiree @whatamidoingherehelpme @strawbearydreams

[not-enough-fandoms]

I would pay good money for members of the Supernatural cast to record meditations either in character or as themselves.

[samwinchestersgspot]

Petition to remake all disney movies but with the supernatural cast

[carryoncastiel]

Everyone looks great today but Misha in blue is always just 🤌

[dementedfilament]

Still have this pic of Ruth from a collab I did with someone on DA apparently

I kinda miss making headcanons for her, but I never really made her a solid storyline tbh 😅

I just know that she’s in General Tiedoll’s team and she’s a sweet ray of sunshine! (A mix between Lenalee and Miranda?) She used to have very short hair, but I imagine by the current timeline, she’s grown it out and ties it up like above.

Her Innocence is a bow! If I remember correctly, her arrows used to grow from the bow itself, and she would basically “tear” them off annnnd I guess they would regenerate at a fixed speed? (I don’t remember how I made that actually, lol.) But once crystallized, her arrows are limited by the amount of blood loss she can handle, obviously. Her marks were on the backs of her hands for easier arrow-making.

Also, her name was apparently “Hermione” before I changed it to “Ruth”, but I actually forgot about her renaming and gave her the nickname “Minni” since I didn’t like her OG name, lol. I’m torn on changing it back just for the nickname.

[nkp1981]

UNIT In "The Giggle":

Jemma Redgrave As Kate Lethbridge Stewart:

Ruth Madeley As Scientific Advisor Shirley Anne Bingham:

Alexander Devrient As Colonel Ibrahim Of UNIT Squad 5:

(You Might Have Seen Him In "Ted Lasso", Where He Played Jarkko)

[jensenackles-daily]

The Winchesters' gag reel featuring Jensen Ackles

[oliversrarebooks]

The Rare Bookseller Part 43: Katherine's Advice

Prev > Masterlist > Next

September 1925

TW: conditioning, discussion of abuse, panic attacks

Oliver put the finishing touches on a set of egg-salad sandwiches, neat triangles with the crust removed, and set them on a platter along with an assortment of tea cookies from a local bakery. Truthfully, he didn't know the first thing about entertaining -- with no friends or family and a tiny bookshop apartment, it wasn't anything he'd ever had to do. Alexander had some helpful suggestions for things he'd seen other thralls do, and had procured the supplies Oliver would need for a light midnight lunch (or whatever one might call it.)

In fact, Alexander had been hovering around Oliver a great deal since their fraught conversation a couple of nights before. He'd bought a bounty of foods he supposed Oliver might like, and seemed to be popping up around every corner of the library to show Oliver interesting books.  It was as though his master thought he needed to win his favor all over again -- despite the fact that Oliver was still very much enthralled, his thoughts often going hazy and filling with imagined echoes of siren song.

Oliver didn't really need the attention, but he did appreciate the advice on entertaining. Embarrassing as it was, Oliver really did want to impress his guests. So much had happened over the past few weeks, his entire life and conception of the world turned on its end. The only people who might really understand were vampires' thralls. Miriam hadn't seemed quite lucid enough for a true conversation, but Alexander had told him that Miss Ruth's thrall, Charlie, was quite intelligent and together.

It'd be nice to talk to someone else who had gone through... this. That was all.

He had just finished up in the kitchen when the doorbell rang and his master rushed to greet the guests. "Hello hello!" sang a voice that Oliver would never forget: Miss Lily. She brought both of her hands to her face in a dramatic mock gasp. "Lex? No, it can't be. You don't look like you just clawed your way out of a grave. Who are you, and what have you done with Lex?"

"Mm. Nice to see you too."

"And look at you!" Miss Lily ruffled Oliver's hair. "You look like you're adjusting quite well! Are you the one responsible for Lex's shocking good health?"

Oliver blushed, not certain how to respond to the praise. She seemed different from how she had been in the auction house, more relaxed, but something about her voice and mannerisms still made Oliver feel a bit dazed and eager to please. "I'm just glad I was able to help him, sir."

"Of course you did. I just knew a thrall like you could do him a world of good. Speaking of which..." She pulled her thrall Miriam through the front door, and she looked at Oliver with her usual clouded expression. "Miriam, you remember Oliver, don't you? Lord Alexander's new thrall?"

She looked confused for a moment before her face lit up a bit in recognition. "Oh, yes! From when we were staying at the auction house. It's good to see you again."

"It's good to see you, too." Miriam's uncertain mental state made him a bit uneasy. If Lily and Alexander were anything alike, would he end up similarly entranced? Would he even realize if it happened? Was it happening already?

"But Miriam's not the only person I've brought along. I took the liberty of inviting one of our old friends that Lex has been avoiding."

Alexander looked confused. "Ruth? I haven't been avoiding her."

"Ruth's on the way, too, but no, not her."

"Oh -- you don't mean --"

A sophisticated-looking older woman, gray hair tucked in neat curls, stepped out from the porch. She was wearing an old-fashioned, dark blue flannel dress with a high collar. Behind her was another older woman, also wearing an old-fashioned flannel dress, hers covered with a ruffled white pinafore.

"Edith! It's been ages!" said Alexander.

"And whose fault is that?" she said, in the tone of a worried mother. "You kept turning me away when I called on you, and I'd hear all about it from Lily -- how you refused to take a thrall, and were drinking bottled blood --"

Alexander looked uncharacteristically cowed by the scolding. "And I'm sure she's told you that I have a suitable thrall, now, so you needn't worry about my health."

"I'll stop being worried about your health when you start taking proper care of yourself," she said. "But I'd like to meet this thrall of yours. Is this him?"

Even with his master and Miss Lily around him, Oliver could still feel the pull of this new vampire's aura on his mind. It was soothing, almost numbing, and he had the odd thought that she must be a good master. "My name is Oliver Pines, sir, and I am indeed Lord Alexander's thrall. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Oh, what a polite and charming thrall," Miss Edith said with a smile. She shamelessly took Oliver's chin in her hand to examine his face, and Oliver was surprised that his master didn't seem to mind. "Healthy, and his blood smells very nourishing."

"As you can see, I'm taking care of myself just fine," said Alexander defensively.

"I suppose this is a better state of affairs than your usual. But where are my manners? I haven't introduced myself properly." she said, and then turned back to Oliver. "You may address me as Dr. Edith. I'm a doctor who has served the vampire community for over a century. If you're ever sick or injured, no doubt your master will call on me to help."

"You're a vampire... doctor, sir?"

"There are very few health ailments that can afflict vampires, so I primarily take care of their precious thralls. After all, healthy thralls are necessary for a healthy vampire," she said, with a pointed look at Alexander.

He rolled his eyes with a smile on his face. "Yes, yes, your point has been made."

"And this is Katherine, my faithful nurse," said Dr. Edith, gesturing to the woman who had accompanied her.

Katherine delicately shook Oliver's hand. "Good to meet you." She looked bright-eyed compared to Miriam, but her hand was warm, and she clearly was not a vampire.

"Are you a..."

"Dr. Edith's thrall, yes, and her nurse and assistant and whatever else is required of me."

"I see," he said with relief. He was looking forward to having a chat with a thrall who seemed to still have her wits about her.

While the group was still exchanging pleasantries, hanging up coats and hats, when the doorbell rang once again. It was Miss Ruth, the vampire lawyer who had sized up Oliver's suitability for a clerk at the auction house. She was followed by a tall, broad-shouldered man.

"Do you remember me, Oliver?" she asked.

"Yes, sir, I remember you very well. You asked me to recite state capitals. I'm glad to see you well."

Miss Ruth looked at him with longing. "Oh, I do wish I could have afforded to buy you," she said. "But no matter how hard I work, I just can't compete with Lex's fortune."

The broad-shouldered man was named Charlie, and he was one of Miss Ruth's thralls and law clerks. He favorited Oliver with a stoic nod, and between him and Katherine, he couldn't help but feel a bit self-conscious. Now that he was fully enthralled and owned by a vampire, it was strange to be around other humans, even those in a similar boat. It made him more keenly aware of his situation, and he wondered how he seemed to other people, all too aware that he was under a hypnotic spell.

"Now that all of our guests have arrived, Oliver, why don't you get your tea and refreshments and show the thralls into the second-floor sitting room?" said Alexander. "We'll be meeting in the parlor, and I would prefer not to be disturbed."

"Yes, sir," said Oliver, feeling more than a bit like a child being shooed off so the adults could talk. But even though he'd love to hear what the vampires were discussing -- especially since he seemed to be of particular interest to them -- he was also eager to have a chat with the other thralls.

A few moments later, and he'd enlisted Katherine and Charlie's help in carrying trays to the sitting room. The curtains were open wide, offering a pleasant view of the gaslit city streets and the waning moon. Miriam settled into a plush chair and pulled a knitting project out of a small bag as Oliver poured tea for the four of them.

"Please, help yourself to sandwiches and cookies," he said.

"You're a lovely host, Oliver," Katherine commented. "And so lucid, as well." 

"Um --"

Charlie glared. "An awkward thing to say to a new thrall, don't you think?"

"At my age, I don't see any point dancing around the bush. I've seen hundreds of thralls, after all, and I'm well aware that we're some of the more fortunate ones."

"How long have you two been thralls?" asked Oliver.

"Six years for me," said Charlie.

"I've been with the doctor for nearly thirty years now."

"Thirty years!" said Oliver. "I didn't know... well..."

"Didn't realize that a thrall could last so long in the service of a vampire?" said Katherine, amused. "It's understandable, but it's more common than you might expect. I'm particularly lucky in that my master is a doctor, and so I'm kept very healthy."

"Do you like your master?"

"I do," said Katherine. "I'm under her spell, of course, but after all these years, that's practically background noise. But after having met so many vampires, I'm glad it was the doctor who enthralled me. I meet lots of interesting people and vampires, and I get to help them. I'm never bored. And she's always treated me well."

"I'm also happy to serve my master," said Charlie in a tone that sounded a bit strange. "I mean, I do miss my old life sometimes, and it's hard work to be a clerk, but my living conditions are so much better than when I was working at the factory, that's for sure. My math and reading have improved, too."

"And how about you, Oliver? What's your first impression of serving Lord Alexander?" said Katherine.

Oliver's mind swirled with thoughts, of his master's siren song and his feeding and his need, of the library and the comfortable bed and generous food, of his tiny apartment above the bookshop that used to be modest but his, of the threat of his master's sire.

"It's been good so far. Lord Alexander will be a good master to me, I hope," said Oliver carefully. "But... did you two know his previous thralls?"

Katherine exchanged a look with Charlie. "Ah, yes, Henry. I remember him. He was more... subdued. Like Miriam." 

"Like Miriam," Oliver repeated, his fear of having his mind fade away from him renewed.

Miriam looked up from her knitting. "Hm?"

"Nothing, dear," said Katherine. "I believe that Lord Alexander has, for the most part, always treated his thralls very well. He's a gentle vampire, and he's always treated me with more respect than is due a thrall. But..."

"But?"

"Well... I have had to treat a number of mysterious injuries on Alexander's previous thralls. Miss Lily's as well. I assume you know what those two have in common."

Charlie looked impatient. "There's no need to beat around the bush. Our vampires won't mind us talking about this. They're probably talking about the same thing," he said. "Oliver, what has Lord Alexander told you about the Maestro?"

"The Maestro?" said Oliver, his eyes widening. "Is that... his sire?"

"Oh dear. Yes, he is," said Katherine. "So he's told you very little. It's the way of vampires, unfortunately. Even my master barely tells me anything."

Oliver gripped his chair. "I need to know. Please, tell me."

"I'm afraid I don't know that much myself. He's notoriously reclusive. But I have had to visit his manor to attend to thralls on a number of occasions. Even my master would prefer not to go there, but she says it's too dangerous to defy him."

"What was he like?"

Katherine leaned in close, as though the subject of their conversation might somehow overhear. "His power lets him control people's bodies utterly. His thralls are like toy soldiers, moving to a drum only they can hear. I'm used to all kinds of thralls, but his were uncanny." Katherine shuddered. "Even though he didn't lay a hand on me, he was glaring at me the entire time, and I could feel his influence pulling at my mind. A feeling as though I had to fall in line immediately, or something terrible would happen. Like I could barely think without him hearing it. I've rarely wanted to flee a manor so quickly as that one."

"That does sound... unpleasant," he said, trying to keep his hands from shaking as he sipped his tea, unable to stop his imagination from conjuring visions of himself being used as little more than a puppet. "And his thralls were injured?"

"My master complained that he hadn't called until they were practically bleeding out -- afterwards, of course, not while we were there. Malnourished, too, with a haunted look about them." She put a hand on his knee with a sympathetic look. "But these were the Maestro's own thralls, not Alexander's. You have far less to worry about here. As I've said, I've always found him to be a very gentle vampire."

"Convenient," huffed Charlie. "A vampire with a reputation for being gentle and honest, who gets to blame all his thralls' injuries on his notoriously cruel sire."

Katherine looked alarmed. "Charlie --"  

"I'm just saying that I find it hard to believe the apple falls that far from the tree."

Before Katherine could interject again, Miriam unexpectedly looked up from her knitting, fear written on her normally placid face. "But it is true," she insisted. "Lord Alexander has never hurt me. Neither has Miss Lily, except when she has to leave me there, and --" Tears began to roll down her face. "I can hear it. I can still hear it. Miss Lily told me I could forget, but I can't, I can't forget or he'll punish me --"

"Miriam, oh dear, Miriam, it's okay," said Katherine, pulling the sobbing thrall into an embrace. "It's all right, Miriam. No one's going to hurt you here. You're safe with us, dear."

"I can dance. I can do the dance perfectly, I promise, just let me try, I can do it." Miriam's anxious mumble was barely intelligible between her crying and the way she was pressed against Katherine.

"Miriam, you aren't there. You aren't anywhere frightening. You're having tea at Lord Alexander's house, remember?"

"I'm at...?"

"Lord Alexander's house. His thrall Oliver is being such a gracious host. It's perfectly safe. See?"

Miriam seemed to wake from her terror almost as quickly as she'd fallen into it. "Oh, of course, I don't know what I was thinking!" she said, glassy-eyed as she lifted her head from Katherine's shoulder. "Oh, I always enjoy when my madam visits Lord Alexander. He's very kind to me."

"Of course he is, dear," said Katherine, patting her back. "We really shouldn't bring up such awful topics around Miriam. She's a sensitive soul. Charlie, how's your baseball team doing?"

Oliver wanted to hear more, even though it terrified him, but he also felt awful that his questioning had thrown Miriam into a panic, so he eagerly went along with the topic change. "You like baseball, Charlie?"

"Love baseball, always have," he said, also looking relieved at the conversation switch. "My master gave me a great radio set, so I can listen to all the games. But my team's doing awful this year -- bottom of the league. They never shoulda traded their star pitcher..." 

As Oliver listened to Charlie rant about blown games and poor referee calls, as Katherine discussed birdwatching and a new bread recipe she'd tried, he could almost forget the fear of his situation and feel a little bit normal.

It was only later, after Charlie and his madam left and Miriam was engrossed in her knitting, that Oliver was able to pull Katherine aside. "Katherine, will you please hear me out?"

"Certainly," she said in a motherly tone. "I know how hard it is, the first few weeks of being a vampire's thrall."

"What you said before..." He glanced around as if he were afraid his master would pop out of the shadows at any moment. "Am I safe here? Will I be all right? I've been conditioned to be unable escape..."

"That's normal, yes. I assume Miss Lily was the one who handled your conditioning?"

"She was."

"Then no, I don't expect you'll be able to escape," she said. She put a hand on Oliver's shoulder. "I can't promise that you will be safe. What I said about the Maestro was all true, and while I do believe Alexander means well on the whole, you're among vampires now. We live in their world, and they do what they will with us."

Oliver felt his gut twist. "So then..."

"I've met so many thralls in my life. Hundreds, probably. Most in worse situations than you, and some in better," she said. "Would you like to hear my honest advice about surviving this?"

"Yes, by all means."

"Find happiness wherever you can. Find joy outside of your master's enthralling and feeding. Hobbies, food, art, education, anything that brings you pleasure -- indulge in it." She smiled warmly. "You'll need these pleasures to keep your mind sharp and keep your soul from despair. When you're permanently a prisoner, you need something tangible to look forward to, even if it's simply a warm drink or a beam of sunshine. You seem like the sort of man who can appreciate the mundane."

"...I like to believe so, yes."

"That's a skill that will serve you well, Oliver," she said. "Even if Alexander and his sire are cruel to you, you'll still have something to hold on to during your darkest moments."

"Something to hold on to..." 

"I think you will figure it out. With how much Lord Alexander seems to prize you, it wouldn't surprise me to meet you here twenty years from now, looking back on our lives with our vampires."

She seemed to mean it, and that gave Oliver hope.

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I really enjoy Edith as a character and hope to write at least one side story with her.

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[dapuddingbitches]

A supernatural Christmas to you all! 🎅🎄

[lluvias1907]